Extension
It Starts With Us
Active Living, Health Promotions and Substance Abuse Prevention
Improve Physical and Mental Health
Bell, Blankenship, Branstetter
Local Food Systems
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Health & Wellbeing
Family and Consumer Science
With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. CES agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities. Focusing on a foundation of overall direct health education to increase health literacy and ability to make healthy lifestyle choices. Including, creating spaces or opportunities for active living and health behaviors.
- Routinely meeting physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness (e.g. 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and consuming recommended daily fruits and vegetables)
- Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be more healthy
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations
- Decrease tobacco/ substance use
- Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy practices
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling)
- Increase motivation to be active
- Increase awareness of accessible safe places for activity
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: increased fruit and vegetable intake and/or eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions
Method: Self-report surveys
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Physical Activity knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase in physical activity levels
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Substance abuse prevention
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: gained knowledge of the resources that are available for substance use in the community as a result of Extension programming
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Chronic Disease Prevention
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: participants who had one or more health indicator (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose) improved.
Method: Self-report survey, comparison of aggregated chronic disease prevalence data
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Availability / Access to healthy lifestyle choices
Indicator: Number of communities, health coalitions, or organizations who reported: implemented policy, system, and/or environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Physical Activity knowledge and skills
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase in physical activity levels
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curriculr or program
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Shared Space Agreements, Active Community Toolkit, Be More Guide, resources for early care and education settings, NEP Farmers Market Toolkit, gardening and food preservation curriculum materials, PBPT, Home-based processor and microprocessor certifications.
Inputs: K - State Extension West region staff, volunteers, grant funds, community partners, key stakeholders, elected officials, public school staff, Head Start staff, Employee Health and Wellness, SNAP-Ed program assistant and specialists, WIC &SFMNP Voucher State Staff, FCS Extension Agent, Farmers Market,
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, LEAPS, Food Preservation, Gardening, Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Fit Blue, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, WIN, Kick Kentucky Cancer, 4 – H Health Core Curriculum
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, Healthcare Providers, Library, Head Start, Farmers Market, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, 21st Century, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers, etc.
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Shared Space Agreements, LEAPS, Be More, Fit Blue, WIN, Health Partner curriculum, Fit Blue, Min/ Body Exercise, Stories, Songs and Stretches, NEP Curriculum, 4 – H Health Core curriculum, Farm Fitness Day
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Library, Schools, 21st Century, Head Start, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers, Homemakers
Date: Periodically each year
Project or Activity: Head to Toe Stretching
Content or Curriculum: Mind-Body Connection Publications, Shared Space Agreements partnering with Metcalfe Co. Library using their activity room, offering once weekly sessions of warm-up exercise then gentle head to toe stretching exercise - 60 minutes/session.
Inputs: Metcalfe Co. FCS Agent, Library facilities, Homemakers
Date: Monday's 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. April 2024 - August 2024 then October 2024 - December 2024
Project or Activity: Move Your Way Exercise Homemaker Leader training
Content or Curriculum: KEHA State Supported lesson. Metcalfe Co. FCS Agent is teaching in-person in all 10 MCA counties on the date requested by the FCS Agent or contact Agent from July - August 2024.
Inputs: Metcalfe Co. FCS Agent, KEHA/FCS State specialists, Homemaker leaders and members.
Date: Summer 2024
Project or Activity: Worksite Wellness: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, Blue to You, Mind/body Connection, Related published research, PIUKYP recipes, Farmers Market tool kit, NEP curriculum
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, NEP program assistant, Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Series of 6 sessions annually
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Tobacco Stick Crafts
Content or Curriculum: Simpson County FCS Agent created curriculum hands/on lesson taught as multi-county leader training 9/25 two sessions at Barren Co Ext office and 9/26 two sessions at the Warren Co Ext office, in conjunction with cake and cookie decoration.
Inputs: Extension Agents, paid staff, Homemaker leaders and members.
Date: October/November 2024
Audience: 21st Century afterschool program participants
Activity: Mind Body Exercise, Simple yoga based stretching, deep breathing and meditation for flexibility of mind, body and stress release.
Content: The Mind Body Connection curriculum, basic Hatha Yoga stretches, research - based resources on simple deep breathing and meditation practices.
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, 21st Century paid staff, school space
Date: Twice monthly during school year, once weekly during summer sessions.
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Health and Fitness, Farm Fitness
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Teachers
Date: August-May
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
Being physically active is an important component to overall health and contributes significantly to individuals’ physical and mental wellbeing. There is a continued need to promote physical activity among Kentucky families. According to the CDC, 29.7% of Kentucky’s adults reported that during the past month, they had not participated in any physical activity, and only 21.4% of Kentucky children and teens were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on each of t
